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Cozell and Damon Thomas sat on the bleachers in the 21st Century Charter School gym and joined the sea of applause for the school's 31 graduating seniors, including their daughter Devan. The Gary school called the May 14 event "signing day." It's a celebration because all 31 seniors in the Class of 2015 have been accepted to college, many with dual credits.

On Thursday, May 14, the 21st Century Charter School @ Gary and GEO Foundation community came together to celebrate the accomplishments of the graduating Class of 2015 – where EVERY student will graduate from high school, and EVERY student will go on to college or the US Army!

The middle school and high school student body gathered on the bleachers of the 21c secondary school gym to celebrate the Class of 2015 with a pep rally and pledge-signing ceremony. The high school band, directed by Music Teacher Olympia Johnson, played several rousing numbers, including their version of the pop hit “Fancy” by Iggy Azalea, as the crowd danced and sang along. hen, the 21c dance team, decked in one-shoulder sequined blazers, performed a choreographed number. The Class of 2015 walked down a runway to thumping music before the crowd, flanked by smoke from a smoke machine, revealing beneath their graduation gowns a shirt bearing the emblem of the college they would attend in the Fall.

21st Century Charter School @ Gary students are rolling up their sleeves and helping out the community! One Saturday morning in early May, 21c students, parents, and teachers came out to lend a hand in the City of Garys annual community cleanup. The results of their hard work included sparkling sidewalks, a well-manicured playground, and even a wood installation built by our own Principal Chris Evans.

China Burr sits at the front desk of the 21st Century Charter Upper School, in the central hub of the building. As the school receptionist, Ms. Burr’s is the first face you see when you enter the building, and the last you see when you leave it. You might hear her voice over the course of the day as she calls out school announcements over the intercom system, or over the phone, when she answers the main line of the school with her signature upbeat greeting, “It’s a beautiful day at 21st Century!

After months of fundraising, planning, and preparation, the 21st Century Charter School @ Gary 8th graders filed out of the Cafeteria and onto a waiting charter bus on the night of Easter Sunday. It was a 13-hour trip to Washington, D. C. but most slept through the night, propped up against windows by rolled-up sweatshirts or the pillows that some had the foresight to bring along, lulled by the purring diesel engine, insulated from the Midwestern storm that followed us through Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Maryland.